Are you looking for cost-effective yet eye-pleasing ways to lower your energy bills? Planting trees, shrubs, vines, grasses, and hedges could be the answer. In fact, landscaping may be your best long-term investment for reducing heating and cooling costs, while also bringing other improvements to your community.

A well designed landscape will:

Cut your summer and winter energy costs dramatically.

Protect your home from winter wind and summer sun.

Help control noise and air pollution.

You may have noticed the coolness of parks and wooded areas compared to the temperature of nearby city streets. Shading and evapotranspiration from trees can reduce surrounding air temperatures as much as 9 degrees. Because cool air settles near the ground, air temperatures directly under trees can be as much as 25 degrees cooler than air temperatures above nearby blacktop. A well-planned landscape can reduce an un-shaded home’s summer air-conditioning costs by 15-50%.